Combined safety valve device



July 29, 1952 R. E. L. TRUBERT COMBINED SAFETY VALVE DEVICE Filed Feb. 27, 1948 fig Nl DISCHARGEQ 25 l l] l *Ill/l I I u- LJN '5l/02 w Patented July 29, 1952 Ren Eugne Lon Trubert, Viroflay, France Application February 27, 1948, Serial No.711,752

' InFrance November 30, 1945 v Section 1, Public Law 690, August 8, 1946 Patent expires November 30, 1965 7 Claims.

The present invention relates to a combined safety valve device more'sp'ecially designed for use in connection with accumulation water-heaters.

' It is well known that an accumulation waterheater generally comprises a heat-insulated tank fed with water through an induction passage in its lower part, the Water being heated therein while under pressure and thereafter supplied according to requirements by means of an outlet conduit or pipe connected to the upper part of the tank.

In order to operate 'such a water-heater in good condition, the. pipe lines have to be provided with a lter, a stop valve, a non-return valve, a safety'valve with a discharge funnel-like member and an emptying arrangement. This equipment is somewhat intricate, and combined devices adapted to' fulfil these', requirements, wholly or partly, have been established.

' It is an object of the present invention to provide a combined safety valve device to serve all purposes hereinbefore described and furthermore comprising a pressure reducerywhich will permit the use of water-heater tanks tested at a lower pressure Vas the said reducer will also Aact as a safety valve far more reliable than those heretofore in use.

The combined valve device according to this invention does not comprise any novel feature, but is an apt combination of means already7 Aknown designed to obtain the desired results, namely: to feed an accumulation water-heater with water at a constant and lowered pressure, to prevent any return flow, to close the inflow of water and also to empty the water-heater. The device will thus be a combination of a pressure reducer, a non-return valve, a stop valve, a safety valve, a discharge valve and a lter.

The objects of this invention will be described more fully thereafterwith reference to the accompanying drawings showing by way of example one embodiment of the invention and wherein like reference characters refer to. like parts'in the several views.

[In the drawings: Figure 1 is an elevational view of the device according to my invention;

. Figure 2 is a corresponding vertical sectional view;

l Figure 3 is a top plan view; and Y y Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view-taken valong the axes of the inlet and outlet conduits.

In'the body of the device generally indicated lwith numeral character I areformed the inlet passage 2 leading through the seat ,4 into the lowered pressure chamber" 5', vto which is valso connected the outlet passage 3. The body has screwed thereto an .upper part 8, anda lower part E also screw-threadedlylsecured by means of a nut 'I. A partly screw-threadedspindle I9 engages the inside of the upper part 8, and is actuated to stop manually the inow of water by way of a button or hand wheel 20 suitably secured to its upper end while its free end is bored to slidably receive the upstanding stem projecting from the inlet valve 9 which is urged towards the seat thereof by means of asmall vspring 22 constrained between the end wall of the vbore and the valve stem. The coupling of 'thespindle I9 inside the upper part "8 iswatertight due to a stuffing box, or packing."2|. 'A valve support I0 has its upper end formed in a sleeve-like hanged portion which slidably receives the bored lower end of the spindle I9 and may be urged downwardly by a spring I2 bearing upon the iiange of the said support. The bottom of the lowered pressure chamber is constitutedof adiaphragm I6 having its periphery secured between the body I and the lower part 6v of' the device,V and also pressed by means of a nut I'I `upon a'flange integral with a tube-like channelled piston which is thus water-tight. The piston I5 has an upper seat I4 which is normally held in contact with a discharge valve I8screw-threaded1y secured to the lower end of the valve support I0, by the biasing action of a spring I3 coiled aboutsaid piston I5 and constrained between the bottom of the lower part E and the underside ofthe flange integral with the ch'annelled 'piston I5. The lower part of the piston I5 is fitted with a pin 24, integral therewith or suitably secured thereto, to be manually actuated by a hand wheel, or nut, 23 for discharge of the water. The safety valve device is also provided withV a filter 26 inside the induction. passage 2, and a conventional discharge funnel-like member not shown.

The safety valve device according to my invention is operated as follows l y The hand wheel 20 being loosened to its open position, the iniiow of water from the induction conduit 2 raises the valve 9,' entersthe chamber 5, presses the diaphragm IB and the spring, I3; the valve support I0 being thus noU longer raised by the piston combined action of the spring I2 and Vthe, pressure in the chamberf, wherebythe valve '9 closes the intake seat 4.o. The inilow of water. is therefore prevented unless the pressure upon the diaphragm is weaker than the .valve ,corresponding I5 is urged downwardly by the v to the tension force of the spring I3 which therefore will have to be adjusted according to the required lowered pressure.

It is to be noted that the two springs l2, I3 and the small spring 22 acting of the valve s are entirely diiferent. Byv way of example, the strength of the small spring may be 200 grams while that of the spring I2 is 5 kilogs. and will be suicient to close the water inflow through a seat Il having an area of one half square centimetre, on condition that the water pressure should not be above l kilog's., which is usually the case. When the pressure is higheninwhich case the water-heater cannot be connected direct with the water piping, it will be found sufficient to restrict the cross area of the seat Il. The spring I3, however, has to be rmuch stronger; even supposing that the area of the `diaphragm should not exceed square centimeters, the strength of the spring necessary to prevent the diaphragm from 'yielding to a pressure less Y than 2 kilog's. will have to'come up to 20 lrilogs., to which 'are to be added the 5 kilogs. of the 'counter force exerted by `the' spring I2, which means an over-all 'tension value of 25 kilogs. 'in its operatingp'osition. Y y

Let `us suppose now that for some reason the pressure shouldbuild up inside the 'water-'heater for instance owingto the dilatation of the water vwhile it is being heated; the force acting upon the upper `side of the V,diaphragm will then increase whereby thefspring I3 will be brought to yield and accordingly the seat lll will be urged downwards. The valve IB will not, however, come down as :it vis secured 'to the valve support I'Il, which, in turn, is stopped by the valve 9 abutting on the seatll. A discharge ofwater will therefore take place through the aperture thus provided above the Vseat I4.

Thus it will be readily understood that unlike a common safety'valve which is generally opened only by `a substantial overpressure, the pressure reducer, which keeps the water inow closed as long the pressure in the outlet-conduits does not decrease, will also open the discharge orifice provided by the valve I8 as soon'as the pressure shows a tendency to decrease.

The other objects and purposes of the device according to my invention are operated afs follows:

The inlet valve 'B acts as a non-return valve, as it moves freely and lis furthermore Vslightly urged on its seat'by a small spring. y

The manually operated nutf` actuates, by way of the spindle I9, thevalve 9 to maintain it firmly on its" seat, thus acting as a stop valve.

The tank may be emptied when desired by operated the hand wheel 23 whichrotation will actuate the pin 243 and thereby the piston I5 thus causing the seat I4 to be urged downwardly to open the discharge valve I8 whereby the water will be discharged through the passage provided inside the piston I5. n Y

A discharge funnel-shaped memberat the lower part of the device `will permit visual control of the discharge outflow to prevent any blocking up of the discharge pipe. n

The nutll will be indicated stop and the nut 23 will likewise bear a mention discharge, with corresponding arrows, lso that the apparatus may be most conveniently utilised.

Although one embodiment ofthe present invention has been illustrated and described, it is to be expressly understood that the invention is not limited thereto. Variouschanges maybe made in the design andarrangement ofthe parts with- Ysaid valve easing; a valve support member in said valve casing movable from an inoperative position into an operative position urging said intake Avalve member toward said first valve seat; spring means biasing the valve support member in one direction into said operative position; a discharge valve member carried by said valve support member; a tubular discharge member formed with a valve seat at one end thereof within said valve chamber to cooperate with th'e discharge valve member, said tubular discharge member bommunicating at said one end with said'valve cham'- her when said discharge valve member isnot seated; a 'second outlet portins'aid valvecasing communicating with the other end ofsaid tubular discharge member; a diaphragm' closing the valve chamber in respect to said second outlet port in said valve casing and having a central 4portion surrounding said tubular -discharge member spaced from either end thereof and secured thereto; a spring in said valve casingabutting against a ange of said tubular discharge'memberand `iasing said tubular discharge'member 'in a 'di'- rection opposite to said one direction and against the action of said spring'mean's ag'ainstsaid'dis'- charge valve member so "as "to keep said valve support member inv inoperative position; 'and'manually operable means for urging sadintakevalve member into closing relation'withsaid first valve seat independently of the 'positins'of said`valve support member and diaphragm.`

2. A safety valve for closed tanks, and v'more particularly for accumulation for water heaters, including a valve casing having a valve chamber; a rst valve seat in the casingr and v'an'inletport in the latter leading to the 'rst valve'sea't; a movable intake valve member adapted 'to cooperate with said first valve seat ar'st'outlet port in said valve casing; a valve support member in said valve casing movable from an inoperative position into an operativeposition' urging saidintake valve member toward said first valvese'at; a small spring bearingagai'rist said intake valve member and permanently 'urging theY` same against said iirst valve seat; sp'ririg'hi'eans biasingfthe valve support member'in'biie'diection i'ntosai'd operative position; a dischargefvalveim'ember'carried by said valve supportmcmber;` a tubular discharge member formed witha valveseatat one end thereof within said valvechamber to cooperate with the discharge valve' memben's'aid tubular discharge member communicating 'at' said'ne end with said valve chamber when'said Vdischarge" valve member is not seated; a secondfoutlpt port' in said valve casing communicating with 'the'lothertend 'of said tubular discharge meinberjf aj diaphragm closing the valve chamberinrespect `t'osaidsec ond outlet port in said valve casing and having a central portion surroundingsaid tubular dis'- cliarge member spaced from'eitherfendthereof and'secured thereto; afspririgffin said valve Vcasing 'abutting against va ilan'geins'a'id tubulardi'scharge member :and biasing jsai'd tubular 'discharge member ina position 'opposite rto said` oneV direction and against the action of. said `spring means against said discharge valve member sov as to keep said valve support member in inoperative position; and manually operable meansv for urging said intake valve member into closing relation with said first valve seat independently of the positions of said valve support member and diaphragm. v

3. A safety valve for closed tanks, and more particularly for accumulation for water heaters, including a valve casing having a lvalve chamber; a rst valve seat in the casing 'and an inlet port in the latter leading to the iirst valve seat; a movable intake valve member adapted to cooperate with said iirst valve seat; a rst outlet port in said valve casing; a valve support member in said valve casing movable from an inoperative position into an operative position urging said intake valve member toward said first valve seat; spring means biasing the valve support member in one direction into said operative position; a discharge valve member carried by said valve support member; a, tubular discharge member formed with a valve seat at one end thereof within said valve chamber to cooperate with the discharge valve member, said tubular discharge member communicating at saidone end with said valve chamber when said discharge valve member is not seated; a second outlet port in said valve casing communicating with the other end of said tubular discharge member; a diaphragm closing the valve chamber in respect to said second outlet port'in said valve casing and having the central portion surrounding' said discharge member spaced from either end thereof and secured thereto; a spring in said valve casing abutting against a flange on said discharge member and biasing said tubular discharge member in a direction opposite to said one direction and againstl the action of said spring means against said discharge valve member so as to keep said valve support member in operative position; manually operable means for positively separating said tubular discharge member from said discharge valve member at will; and manually operable means for urging said intake valve member into closing relation with said iirst valve seat independently of the position of said valve support member and diaphragm.

4. A safety valve for closed tanks, and more particularly for accumulation for water heaters, including a valve casing having a valve chamber; a rst valve seat in the casing and an inlet port in the latter leading to the first valve seat; a iilter located in the inlet port; a movable intake valve member adapted to cooperate with said first valve seat; a iirst outlet port in said valve casing; a valve support member in said valve casing movable from an inoperative position into an operative position urging said intake valve member toward said first valve seat; spring means biasing the valve support member in one direction into said operative position; a discharge valve member carried by said valve support member; a tubular dis-charge member formed with a valve seat at one end thereof within said valve chamber to cooperate with the discharge valve member, said tubular discharge member communicating at said one end with said valve chamber when said discharge valve member is not seated; a second outlet port in said valve casing communicating with the other end of said tubular discharge member; a diaphragm closing the valve chamber in said valve casing in respect to said second outlet port and having a central poroperate with said first member and biasing said .tion surrounding said itubulardischarge member spaced `from either end thereof and secured thereto ;V a spring in said valvecasing abutting against a vflange on said discharge member and biasing said tubular discharge member lin a direction opposite to said one direction and against the action of said spring means against said discharge valve member so as to keep said valve support memer in inoperative position; andmanually operable meansv for `urging said intake valve member Vinto closing. relation with saidv first valve seat independently of the positions of said valve support member and diaphragm. v

5;. A safety valve forA closed tanks, and more 'particularly for accumulation for water heaters,

including a-.valve lcasing having a valve chamber; .a iirst valveseat in the casing and an inlet port in the latter leading to the rst valve seat; a movable intake valve member adapted to covalve seat; a rst outlet port in said valve casing; a valve supportmember in the latter having a portion slidably receiving said intake valve member and movable from an inoperative position into an operative position urging saidintake valve member toward said iirst valve seat; spring means biasing the valve support member in one direction into said voperative position; a discharge valve member carried by said valve support member; a tubular discharge member formed with a valve seat at one end thereof within said valve chamber to cooperate with the discharge valve member, said tubular discharge member communicating at `said one end with .said valve chamber when said discharge valve member is not seated; a second outlet port in thereto; Ya lower casing section containing the lower portion of said tubular discharge member and having a peripheral portion engaging with thefperiphery of the diaphragm and clamping :said periphery of the latterbetween the same and said valve casing; casing abutting against a a spring in said valve iiange on said discharge tubular discharge memberin a direction opposite to said one direction and against the action of said spring means against said discharge valve member so as to keep said valve support member in inoperative position; an upper hollow casing section upon said valve casing; and manually operable means extending through said hollow upper casing section for urging said intake valve member into closing relation with said rst valve seat independently of the positions of said valve support member and diaphragm.

6. A safety valve for closed tanks, and more particularly for accumulation for water heaters, including a valve casing having a lateral inlet port and a lateral outlet port; a rst valve seat in the valve casing communicating with the inlet port, said valve casing having a valve chamber between said first valve seat and said outlet port; an upper casing section for upwardly closing the valvev chamber; a lower casing section having a further outlet port; a diaphragm disposed between said upper valve casing section and the lower casing section with the periphery thereof clamped therebetween; a substantially vertical tubular discharge member secured to the censaid valve casing commu- Y nicating with the'other end of said tubular dis- `including a 1valve' casing -port and a lateraloutlet port; tairstvalvefseat .section and 'biasing "saidivalve :support zmemher downward the latter having aa hollow iportion 'directed downward; an' intake Walvefmember fdisposedabove the r first valve seat :communicating with .'saidfzinlet port mounted for :sliding move- :ment in a hollow portion tot said valve vsupport member and yadapted to ibermoved .into :closing position'by said valve support member when the samerm'oves downward: 'fspringl ,means .located in said lower casing section abuttingagainsta flange on said tubular discharge :member "and urging the 'saine andi'said valve support memberupwards against 'the 'action of 'sai'd spring.; `a threaded vertical trod` screwed .into said 'upper casing section rabovesaidiintake' valve fchamber;

:and v'manually operative :means i for :rotating said threaded :rod `in Yorder to urge said :intake 'valve member intoolosing relation withaid rst valve seat.

7. A `safety valve for lcl'osed "tanks, and more particularly for accumulation :ferai/vater fheaters, having l a lateral ,inlet in the valve casing :communicating "with Athe inlet port, said valve easing having Lia valve chamber between saidrrst 'valve seat and said outlet port; an upper Icasingfsectio'nior'izpwardly closing the valve '.chaxnbergsa'lower casing seetion having a further outlet `zpcirt; ia diaphragm disposed between said upper tvalve kcasing :sec-

tion and the lower casingsecti'on withthe .periphery thereof clamped therebetween 'andiseparating said valvechamberfrom saidnrther `outlet port; a. Ysubstantially vertical tubular discharge imember :secured ato `the central portion :of :said

'with its .upper end ,l .into said uppercasing section,fandiwith .its lower diaphragm 'andi' projecting endinto said lower casing section andicommunieating at its npper .end with said valve :chamber and atits lower endf with Y,said further outlet port; va second Avalverseat .formed at thek upper end oi .said tubular discharge fmember; a valve supportA mounted .tor vertical movement irl-said valve chamber; ia discharge valve member carried by said valve support membeinabovensaicl tubular L.discharge member in effective ,position .to :cooperate with the second :valve seat upon saidrtubular discharge member; a spring -lo catediin-.the `upper veasing'.section and biasing said waive supportfmernber1 downward,` the latter having :ahollow'portion directed downward; an intake yalvee-memberfdsposed above the :first valve iseatV .communicating with said inlet port mounted '.ior, sliding movement in a Vhollow vportion lof said valvezsupport Vmember and .adapted .to "be moved 'into'closing position 7by Said kValve support `member when the same -moves downward; :springimeans :located inv said lower casing 4section abuttingfagainst a lianes on saidtubular discharge member and urgingthesame and said valve fsupportmember upwards against the acftionggof said spring; 4a threaded vertical -rod screwed intosaid .upper casing section above said 'intake valve -member; manually operative means 'for 'rotating ksaid threaded rod in order to Yurge-saidintake valve -member into closing relationwith said first valve seat; a threaded portion upon the flower casingfsection; a -hand wheel :screwed-'on the threadedportion Von said lowerzcasing section; and means 'connecting the hand- .wheelwith -said tubularv discharge Vmember .and jeiective Ato separate the latter from said discharge valve memberfwhen'said'band wheel is screweddownward in Vorder to drain said safety f valve :at will REN .EUGNEVLON TRUBERT.

.REiiiinnNcas errno .The following references are vof .record in the file ,of zthisgpatent:

Work Aug. 3, 1937 

